Well, as I said, mine was intact after seven years' use. It's very hardwearing stuff and they seem to do all their scratching in the Aubiose on top. I only replaced it because I wanted everything totally clean and fresh for a new batch of chickens, and it's inexpensive anyway. It also has the advantage that they can't scratch earth up into it, so you only have to deal with the droppings.

We discovered a mole digging up the inside of the run yesterday. The end sections are concrete slabs and the middle section is just bare soil. Anyhow, we have now put slabs down in the middle section, with a layer of thick rubber sheeting on top, as their feeders are in that part and I don't want mould and fungus growing in the cracks of the slabs. At least it is simple to wash down, plus they are only in it overnight and they have their lovely coops to sleep in.

As for the mole.... I need to find the main entrance and block it somehow. I don't want mole hills in my garden.

We discovered a mole digging up the inside of the run yesterday. The end sections are concrete slabs and the middle section is just bare soil. Anyhow, we have now put slabs down in the middle section, with a layer of thick rubber sheeting on top, as their feeders are in that part and I don't want mould and fungus growing in the cracks of the slabs. At least it is simple to wash down, plus they are only in it overnight and they have their lovely coops to sleep in.

As for the mole.... I need to find the main entrance and block it somehow. I don't want mole hills in my garden.

I remember I was astonished when a UK friend posted a pic on facebook of a dead mole. I had never realised they were so small. I had only known moles in stories, like The Wind in the Willows, and I had always thought that moles were about the size of a small rabbit! We don't have moles in Ireland, and I'd seen pics of molehills in people's lawns, and judging from the size of those, I couldn't believe it when I saw how tiny they are! We don't have weasels (although stoats are very similar) either, or dormice.

I expect moles, like other small mammals dependent on worms etc, are getting a bit desperate at the moment, with the ground so dry and hard. All the worms must be down really deep below ground. It's possible that the one you found was on its last legs, Tweetiepie, - like if one sees a hedgehog wandering about in the open, in daylight. Moles are probably not so likely to be wrecking your lawn until it gets softer - they'd need an electric drill attachment to get through the soil on what's left of our lawn.